Edelliselle sivulle selaimen Takaisin/Back
–painikkeella.
Kevään Päivä
Seremonia (vappu).
Beltain Druid ceremony.
The renewal of the spirit and
the coming together of the tribes.
Venue: Luonnonkeskus, Kouluntie 16. (Nurmijarvi), telephone: 040 5755 403.
Visit: http://www.luonnonkeskus.fi/ for travel information to
the centre.
Traditionally, the Festival of Beltain is a
celebration of the union of masculine and feminine between man and woman, and
rejoicing in the awakening of vitality, sexuality in the human realm in a
positive way as nature awakens from its winter sleep. These are the forces
which enliven and heal us through playfulness and creativity, and the
integration of the male and female aspects of the self is one of the prime
goals of all spiritual work. Traditionally, at Beltain (which means Good Fire)
festivities such as dancing around the maypole and passing cattle between two
fires to cleanse away the remains of the winter debris before they were sent
out to graze for the spring were done annually…In Finland, the fertile woman of
the household would stand about the barn door with her legs open, and bless the
animals with her sexual potency to ensure successful breading of livestock.
As part of the celebration of Beltain this year, there
will be a Druid ceremony held for this festival, where through the act of
ritual, we will attune our own personal rhythm with the rhythm of the cosmos,
which brings about up-liftment and enlightenment, opening up the doorways of
creativity within the spirit. Through
this very act, we will call upon the great powers of the four sacred directions
and the Lords and Lady’s of the elements to help assist us in our transformative
work as we move towards summer time.
This is an opportunity for anyone who is interested to
participate in a traditional Druid ceremony, and an invitation for you to bring
ceremonial and ritual dresses and robes for the event. The colours associated
with the ceremony are gold, red and orange, the focus is to the south-east, and
the elements of air/fire.
In the ceremonial circle, the masculine powers of
nature will be personified by Ukko who is the protector of the land and of
cattle, and Rauni, the earth Goddess and keeper of the forest who ensured good
game for the hunters in ancient times, who is seen at Beltain in her maiden
aspect . These two people will be chosen from the participants, and will play a
central role in the ceremony by blessing everyone with their powers of
fertility.
I will also be asking for participants-volunteers for
each quarter (north, east, south and west), beforehand who will representatives
of the four Finnish deities as found in the Finnish Mythology, and a sword bearer,
who will be the protector of the tribe, and two guardians for the entrance to
the circle…If you are interested in taking one of these roles please contact me
(Francis) as soon as possible.
The ceremony will be structured and written out
beforehand, and all participants will have a copy before the event. Also,
please note that the script-content of the ceremony is only for those
who are participating, not outsiders.
The structure for the day will be as follows.
The day will begin at 12 noon, where we will meet at
Luonnonkeskus for coffee and tea.
1pm-rehearasls
2pm food
3pm-the ceremony
5pm-drumming and shamanic
journeying (please bring your drums).
7pm sauna and relaxation
The cost for the day is 25
euros per person, and includes lunch and sauna.
To book a place, please call or send mail to:
Tuulia Kurkela: tuulia@luonnonkeskus.fi 0405751767.
If anyone has any questions about the ceremony and the
roles, please call Francis Joy: 0404196241 or send mail to:
druidman1962@yahoo.co.uk